My Review of The Chronicles of Narnia Series

Alright, haven't blogged in a while and jumping back into things...

So my family went to see the new Chronicles of Narnia movie yesterday.  I had heard mixed reviews of the film and was curious to see how the 3rd movie turned out.  I was not disappointed.

I really liked the first movie...The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe was a work of brilliance on paper; Disney and Walden Media did it justice.  When Prince Caspian came out, everyone rushed to the theaters to see if Prince Caspian would be as good as the first.  I still think that the 1st movie was better, but as movies go, Prince Caspian had its highlights.  I enjoyed the action and war scenes in this film much more than in the first and that success really bolstered them into this 3rd film.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was epic.  The animations were, as always, fantastic.  The action has continued to improve with each film and this one kept me engaged the whole film.  I am curious as to why Disney dropped out on this 3rd movie when they were doing so well with the previous two.  They were certainly making money off of this series, so perhaps their reasoning was deeper than budget...perhaps they needed to step away from everything else to focus on the anticipated film: Pirates of the Carribbean 4...which is expected to blow the other three out of the water.  We shall see.

Anyway, back to the Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  As movies go, it was excellent.  I have heard very few people complain that the movie was low quality.  The major complaint I hear...is that the movie strayed from the books a little more than fans desired.  This is the common concern when movies are inspired by books.  Here is my opinion on such things.

There is a definite difference in a book and a movie.  Books appeal to one set of audiences and movies appeal to another group of people.  Sometimes, you will find someone in the crowd who loves books AND movies and they expect harmony between the two.  I am not convinced that such harmony would be fair to either side.

C.S. Lewis is a genius.  Aside from the Chronicles of Narnia, he is the author of many other popular books and I have found him to be a great source for Christian quotes.  The man was and should always be a great blessing to the Kingdom of God.  Few dispute this.  And if any do...such discussions should take place on a different forum focused on Lewis himself.

But if we can agree on Lewis' brilliance, we recognize that he created something incredible with the Chronicles of Narnia.  He wove a masterpiece that we would be hard-pressed to perfect.  In fact, when I heard that they were making Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe way back in 2005, I was concerned then that they would butcher it.  I am of the opinion that they did that with the Eragon movie.  Christopher Paolini is a young author who hit it big with one series.  His fans (me included) anxiously await the last book of the cycle.  When we heard that an Eragon movie was coming out, I could hardly control my excitement.  I was greatly disappointed with the results, however, as they messed with the plot so much that making a 2nd movie to match the 2nd book was too difficult to attempt and the movie Eragon has faded from memory for many.

I was relieved when this disappoint was not repeated with Narnia.  The difference is that in Eragon, they were given free reign to create a film based off of the idea created in a book.  The movie was not a copy of the book and so those of us who knew the book well were frankly offended with the lack of purity to the heart of the book.  Narnia was different.

As I said, movies and books are different.  And to return to my orignal point, movies should not feel pressured to be like books.  I feel that books are created in a different way and with a different heart than movies are filmed.  Authors and directors are not of the same mold.  And because of this, I feel it is unfair for some to expect a filmed copy of the book.  The Chronicles of Narnia books are INCREDIBLE...at least, those that I have read.  I have yet to complete the series.  Seeing the latest movie has inspired me to get back into the world of C.S. Lewis and having a break from college will help.

Anyway, the books are a work of genius and it does not do them justice to be copied.  Books are most effective when allowed to stimulate our imaginations.  My favorite books...Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of The Rings, The Inheritance Cycle, Ranger's Apprentice Series...all of them worked my imagination.  And the novel that I am devoted to creating is a blend of inspiration of all these great works together.  That is the way books work.

Movies are not the same.  A film cannot leave things up to someone's imagination because a film is visual.  And so adjustments must be made.  My concern is not that Walden Media would stray from the details of the book, but rather, I feared that they would stray from the HEART behind those details.  They strayed from the heart of Eragon and it was a miserable failure.  Though I dislike the Harry Potter series, Warner Brothers has stayed true to the heart of the story and that is why they have been so successful.  The grumbling that they may get from fans are from those who were expecting an exact visual copy of the books.  It has helped that they have the author, J.K. Rowling, on set for much of the film and this is not possible for Walden Media as C.S. Lewis is long gone.

However, I am pleased with their work because I truly felt that they stayed true to Lewis' heart.  In truth, Narnia is one big, elaborate presentation of the Gospel message and the film stayed true to that.  If you are a fan of the book series as I am, that is great!  Read and enjoy the books and bask in the creativity that stemmed from the pen of C.S. Lewis himself.  And if you are a fan of adventurous, action-packed movies like I am, then this is a fantastic film to indulge in.  If you are both...as I am...then please recognize that balance must be maintained and that a film is not the same a book.  The important thing is that the movie reflect the heart and message that Lewis had for the world.  I think that on those terms, the film was a success.

The movies may be the only Narnia some people ever experience.  Especially in this day and age, we find fewer and fewer people who love to sit down and read a good book.  It is then the responsibility of the film-makers, then, to shine the message of the books in the films.

The last ten minutes of the movie is what did it for me.  I recognized the symbolism portrayed and I LOVED how the film did it.  The movie may have been the only Narnia some people ever see...and the reality of Jesus Christ shined brightly on the movie screen for the last ten minutes of the movie.  I cried.  It was a great movie, yes.  But my joy comes from knowing that everything Lewis was striving to teach us in his books...was vividly and loyally portrayed in the movie.  I think that C.S. Lewis would have been proud.  His books will endure.  But for those who may never pick up a copy of his work...Walden Media has shown us the heart of C.S. Lewis and his desire to see us recognize God and His plan in our lives.

I sincerely hope that Walden Media continues with the rest of the series and makes their future films with the same thoughtfulness that has made the previous three films so incredible.